Shoe-fastener



T. TOYAMA. SHOE FASTENER- APPLICATION FILED JAN. 13, 1921.

Patented Mar. 15, 1921.

INVENTOR SMMA.

ATTORNEYS UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

TAKEO TOYAMA, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

snon-rks'rnivnn.

T 0 all '10 hom it may concern: Be it known that I, TAKEO TOYAMA, a citizen of Japan, residing in New York city,

county of the Bronx, and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Shoe-Fasteners, of which the following is a clear and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification.

My invention relates to shoe fasteners and more particularly to such devices as are utilized to secure the uppers of the shoe about the leg above the ankle..

My invention has for its objects, among others, to provide an improved arrange ment of the lacing, to provide improved securing means for fastening the laces together and to improve the facility of operation and further to provide means for the attachment of jewels, ornamental buttons and the like, whereby the shoe may be orna-- mented for use upon the stage. Other objects will appear as the description proceeds.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention the shoe strings are passed through the lowest eyelets of the shoe from the outside. Each end of the shoe string is brought out of the shoe at the center and it is taken back on the outside of the flap to the next higher eyelet on the same side of the shoe and assed under the flap again to the center. Vhen the ends of the strings are brought out at the center they are inserted through the string supports of the metallic fastener so as to provide two interlocking metallic fasteners at a space intermediate between the eyelets at the center of the-shoe. WVhen the strings are loosened the eyelets may be readily interlocked and when the strings are pulled taut at the top and tied in a knot the eyelets secure the flaps together. In order to loosen the flaps and remove the shoe the knot is untied and then the metallic fasteners are separated by breaking it apart, onepart from the other. I

Reference. is made to the drawings for a description of a preferred embodiment of this invention in which like numerals of reference refer to like parts throughout the figures.

Figure 1 is a front view showing a portion of the top of a shoe with the fasteners in place and the leather uppers of the shoe drawn tightly together.

Fig. 2 is a view showing the metallic fas- Specification of Letters Patent. Pate ted I 15 1921 Application filed January 13, 1921.

Serial No. 436,911.

teners separated from each other with the string passed through each.

Fig. 3 is a view showing the metallic fasteners carrying the shoe strings secured together in position, and

Fig. 4 is a view of a modification showing how the head of the stud may be used to support any desired type of ornamental head such'as a jewel or a mirror.

This invention permits the shoe to be fastened and unfastened without the laborious and burdensome operation of running each string through the eyelets every time the shoe is put on or taken off. his is accomplished by securing at a point intermediate the eyelets a metallic fastener adapted to interlock with a metallic fastener carried on the corresponding loop of the string. By the simple operation of tightenin the strings the whole may be tightened an put into position very quickly. The fastening device is absolutely secure so that there is no remote danger of accidentally unfastening at any position.

Reference is now made to the drawings for a description of the preferred embodiment of my invention. As shown'in Fig. 1 the flaps of the uppers of the shoe A and B are provided with eyelets a and .7) as is well known in the art. The shoe string is inserted through the two lowermost eyelets of the shoe from the outside, the part 1 of the shoe string on one side and the part 2 of the shoe string on the other side. Both parts 1 and 2 are drawn out toward the cen-' ter and brought out at the opening between the flaps. On the string 1 a stud 4L is fastened. The stud has a looped metal neck portion 5 which is secured to the metal connecting piece 11 which is integral with two angularly positioned cylindrical grooves 6 and 7. T he string 1 is passed through the groove 7 and across the metallic support 11 under the metal neck 5 and through the cylindrical groove 6. From this the string is passed over. the flap in the shoe and inserted in the next higher eyelet a. String 1 is again brought out, passed through an other metallic fastener and so on to the top.

String 2 is passed through the end supports of the interlocking metallic fastener, which is composed of a cylindrical groove 10 and a metallic connecting member formed of spring steel looped about to form the loop 8 with two neck portions normally resiliently placed together, the one of which is attached to the groove 10 and the other to the cylindrical groove 9. The string 2, it is clear, is passed through the cylindrical groove 10 over and around the cyllndrical loop 8 and through the cylindrical groove 9. The string 2 is then brought over the flap of the shoe, inserted through the next higher eyelet and brought back to the opening between the flaps of the shoe where another metallic fastener similar to the one just described is fastened to the string. This is continued until the top of the shoe is reached so that intermediate the eyelets there is a looped fastener adapted to interlock with the neck 5 of the stud 1 opposite each of the fasteners on the string 1.

In interlocking the metallic fasteners the stud 4 is passed under the cylindrical groove 9 or 10 and the neck 5 is drawn back through the aperture 12. The pull on the stud lcauses the resilient walls of groove 12 to spread apart so that in locked position the neck 5 lies within the loop 8 and the walls of the groove 12 are placed together resiliently. hen all the metallic parts are fastened together the ends 1 and 2 of the shoe laces are pulled taut and the usual knot 23 tied therein at the top.

In unlacing the shoe the knot 3 is loosened so as to loosen each string 1 and 2. Then thestring is pulled out a little, starting at the top. The stud 4 is placed back of the groove 12 by passing it under groove 9 or 10 and then is passed through groove 12 into the cylindrical loop 8 so as to hold the neck 5 secure.

A modification of the stud fastener is shown in Fig. 4: in which the stud 4 is provided with a pin which may have the usual groove near its bottom and the neck 5* is modified to permit the pin of the stud 4 to pass therein and be secured at the bottom by means of a spring or in some manner well known in the art. The advantage of this modification is that any desired ornamentation or design may be carried on the fasteners. For instance the heads of the studs 1 may be pink jewels or green jewels or small bits of glass or mirrors may be carried so that before the footlights the shoes will give a very pleasing effect.

The metallic fasteners are preferably of tempered steel so that they will withstandthe strain received in dancing or similar leg exercises. The metallic parts may be finished in any desired finish known in the art.

:Having described a preferred embodiment of my invention it is clear that many modifications may be made in the details thereof without departing from the-invention. It is further clear that I have made a substantial improvement in the art of shoe fasteners having provided a very simple and inexpensive shoe fastener that will result in a saving of literally thousands of hours of labor now extended in lac-' i'ng and unlacing shoes, particularly those with high flaps or high uppers. I do not therefore wish to limit myself except as in the appended claims.

Iclaim:

1. An improved fastening device for shoes comprising means for receiving the I shoe string on one side of the shoe and adapted to be supported by said string, a

stud carried by said means, separate means for receiving the shoe string on the other side of the shoe and adapted to be supported by said string, and means carried by said last-named means for interlocking with said stud.

2. An improved fastening device for shoes other, said cylindrical grooves being con-- nected by means of a third groove adapted to guide the shoe string therebetween and a support carried by said third groove, said support having at its outer extremity a stud mounted thereon.

4. An improved fastening device for shoes comprising two cylindrical metallic tubes adapted to receive a shoe string and angularly positioned with reference to each other, said cylindrical grooves being connected by means of a third groove adapted to guide the shoe string therebetween and a support carried by said third groove, said support having at its outer extremity a stud detachably mounted thereon.

5. An improved fastening device for shoes comprising two cylindrical. angularly positioned grooves adapted to receive a shoe string, said grooves being supported by a connecting link so formed that there is an aperture similar to a neck connecting with an aperture similar to a head and on the outside a groove for the shoe string.

6. An improved fastening device for shoes comprising two angularly positioned cylindrical grooves adapted to receive a shoe string and connected together by means of a piece of metal, a'stud supported on said piece of metal by means of a metallic part formed to permit the passage of the shoe string between said metallic part and said support, a separate pair of angularly positioned grooves adapted to receive a shoe string, said grooves being connected together by a piece of metal formed on the outside to provide a groove and so formed on the inside as to permit said stud to be inserted in a slot between the said angularly positioned grooves and to be received in a cylindrical aperture within said slot.

7. An improved fastening device for shoes comprising means adapted to be secured to one part, said means carrying a Vertically mounted stud spaced therefrom and means adapted to interlock with said stud com- 10 prising a cylindrical 100p closed by two resilient parts normally in contact with each other.

Signed at New York, in the county and State of New York, this 16th day of December, 1920.

TAKEO TOYAMA. [1,. 8.] 

